Is Bing better than Google for obtaining accurate search results? Microsoft has decided to let users decide for themselves in a new marketing campaign called "Bing It On" that launched earlier today.The effort includes a new website where Microsoft has set up a way to show two simultaneous search results from Bing and Google:http://www.bingiton.com/Landingpage.aspx?form=&publ=&crea=The marketing effort consists of five "rounds" with users voting for which search engine gave them the best result.

In a press release, Microsoft said it also commissioned an independent study where it claims that Bing search results were preferred over Google's by "nearly 2-to-1 in blind comparison tests": http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/Press/2012/Sep12/09-06BingChallengePR.aspxThe press release does say that these numbers are "based on a comparison of Web search results pane only." It does not include search results from ads, the Snapshot and Social Search panes from Bing, or Google’s Knowledge Graph.

Microsoft will also launch a new TV ad campaign with a commercial that will first air tonight during the MTV Video Music Awards. It adds, "During the coming months, the Bing It On Challenge will also be prominently featured in Microsoft retail stores nationwide, as well as via pop-up Bing It On Challenge stations across the country."

Finally, Microsoft is launching the Bing It On sweepstakes, where users can win a ton of Microsoft themed prizes, including a Microsoft Surface tablet:http://www.bingsweeps.com/

The new campaign is Microsoft's latest effort to get users to move away from Google as their 'default' search option, and to give Bing a go. The latest data from Hitwise claims that the market share for Bing went down in July after several months of gains.